5 great players who played their last IPL match for RCB
Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) are one of the most popular teams in the Indian Premier League right now. Although RCB have never won any championship, the team has been home to some of the greatest players of all time.
India's Test and ODI skipper Virat Kohli has been part of the franchise since the first season, while legends like Rahul Dravid, Jacques Kallis, Kevin Pietersen, Chris Gayle, Shane Watson, Yuvraj Singh, and several others have represented RCB in the IPL.
While the aforementioned legends were once released by RCB, but the following five great cricketers played their last IPL match for the Bangalore-based franchise.
#1 AB de Villiers, 2021
Former South African skipper AB de Villiers made his IPL debut for Delhi Capitals (then Delhi Daredevils) in 2008 but switched to Royal Challengers Bangalore in 2011. He played ten seasons for RCB before calling it a day on his career yesterday.
AB de Villiers played 156 matches for RCB, scoring 4,491 runs at an average of 41.20. His strike rate was more than 155, highlighting how he dominated the bowlers. The South African star played his last game against the Kolkata Knight Riders on October 11, 2021.
#2 Dale Steyn, 2020
Dale Steyn did not play a single IPL game in 2017 and 2018. He made a comeback to Royal Challengers Bangalore in 2019 as a replacement player and represented RCB in a few matches.
Steyn had played for RCB from 2008 to 2010 before moving to the Deccan Chargers. His last IPL appearance came for Bangalore against the Mumbai Indians on October 28, 2020.
#3 Muttiah Muralitharan, 2014
Former Sri Lankan spinner Muttiah Muralitharan played for the Chennai Super Kings from 2008 to 2010 and moved to Kochi Tuskers Kerala in 2011. After KTK's exit, Muralitharan received a contract from RCB and played three seasons for them.
The Sri Lankan legend took 21 wickets in 21 matches for Bangalore. His last game came against the Kolkata Knight Riders at Eden Gardens on May 22, 2014.
#4 Anil Kumble, 2010
Anil Kumble is the only Indian on this list, and he is the only one among the five names to have won the Man of the Match award in his last match for RCB. The former Indian leg-spinner played only for the Bangalore-based franchise in the IPL.
He played 42 matches across three seasons and scalped 45 wickets. In his last match on April 24, 2010, Kumble returned with figures of 4/16 against the Deccan Chargers and helped RCB win the 3rd place playoff to qualify for the Champions League T20.
#5 Brendon McCullum, 2018
Former New Zealand captain Brendon McCullum played his last IPL game for the Royal Challengers Bangalore against his former franchise Chennai Super Kings in 2018. McCullum was not in the best form that season, and he managed only five runs off three balls against CSK in that game.
Lungi Ngidi was the last bowler to take McCullum's wicket in the IPL. Although the Kiwi player could not end his career the way he would have wanted, fans will forever remember him for his 158* in the first-ever IPL game.